Media Release: Franchising fever hits Sydney

The Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park came alive for the Sydney Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo, with more than 3,500 people attending over the show’s three days, 28-30 March.

“We were very pleased with the number of visitors, but more importantly it was good to see so many people who were genuinely keen to find out more about buying or expanding a franchise,” says Exhibition Manager Fiona Stacey.

Exhibitors agreed. “I thought this one was brilliant!” says Neil McMillan, Brand Development Manager at Fifo Capital. “In my opinion the quality of the visitors was much higher than prior years, and I’m sure we will progress with a number of applicants.”

Stephanie Wells from the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) adds she found the visitors were knowledgeable, had done their homework and were genuinely interested in franchising; while first-time exhibitor Kelvin Wiles from Findit Smart, says the show exceeded all his expectations.

The Sydney Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo is the first in a series of three expos held annually around Australia. The next show is in Brisbane 19-20 July, followed by Melbourne 22-24 August.

According to Fiona Stacey, a highlight of the Sydney show was the Malaysian Pavilion – 18 companies from a range of industries seeking Australian investors. “The Malaysians gave it a real international feel, with an exciting showcase of business opportunities, available in this country for the first time,” she says.

“There were other first-time exhibitors from Australia and overseas who were keen to start a conversation with potential franchisees, along with more established names in the marketplace such as McDonalds and The Cheesecake Shop.”

As in previous years, the free daily seminar sessions were a popular feature, with many visitors taking advantage of the chance to hear presentations from franchisees, franchisors, consultants, and other business experts.

The Expo’s new venue at The Royal Hall of Industries proved to be popular among visitors and exhibitors. “It’s a great location and the space worked well,” says Jonathan Payne from XPresso Mobile Cafe. “It was also easy to get to and easy to set up.”

Fiona Stacey says the new venue provided a great ambience, but what really made the show stand out was the quality of the exhibitor’s stands. “The stands this year were truly impressive,” she says. “They were colourful, professional, and you could see how much effort and energy went into their design.”

The preparation and effort paid off for exhibitors, with most reporting a very successful show.

“We always find the shows very good, although exhausting!” says Jane Lombard from The Franchise Shop. “Good quality people were there and now we have lots of leads to follow up. With Expos it is about how you use all the tools available to make it successful – we always send out the tickets to our clientbase, make appointments to see people there and really use the stand to get as much out of it as we can.”

Jake Robinson, Director at Mobile App City, says he made lots of great connections with high-level players in his industry. “For us the show helps to get our name out there, it is more about building brand awareness.”

Meanwhile Chris Jutt from Minuteman Press was keen to generate interest from potential franchisees – a mission accomplished at the show. “We finished the show with 275 leads!” he says, adding that his team made 55 appointments just for the week following the show.

Jonathan Payne says Xpresso Mobile Cafe also had a successful show. “We had about 20 solid leads and I think this will turn into 3-4 franchises sold, which is an excellent return on investment,” he says.

“We have a strong brand and it is set up really well, but we are still quite new – only 14 months old – so the Expo helps to get the word out. It was good to meet face to face with people I have been dealing with, show them the van, and explain how the business works.”

Fiona Stacey says organisers are gearing up for an exciting two-day show in Brisbane this July. It will feature a mix of local Queensland franchisors and advisors, as well as Australian household names.

Pre-registration is available online for the Brisbane and Melbourne shows, and Stacey says companies wishing to exhibit will need to contact her soon to secure the best stands.

“The Franchising and Business Opportunities Expo is the best place to take the first steps towards being your own boss, or growing your business,” says Stacey. “It’s also an event where the industry comes together to educate, inform and network – the place where you can really turn your ambition into action.”

Free pre-registration is available at www.franchisingexpo.com.au. For information about participating in the 2014 Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo contact Fiona Stacey on 03 9999 5464 or email Fiona@specialisedevents.com.au